Q3 Table 1 shows data for the sales of different types of milk over an eight-year period. Describe any changes in market share over this period. Comment on possible reasons for any changes.
% share
Whole Semi-skimmed Skimmed
2005 28.3 61.9 9.8 2006 29.6 60.4 10.1 2007 26.7 62.3 11.0 2008 26.3 63.4 10.1 2009 26.3 63.2 10.5 2010 23.3 65.3 11.4 2011 23.6 65.3 11.1 2012 19.7 69.8 10.5
Table 1 Milk sales (average purchase per person) in Great Britain by fat content. (Source: MDC Datum, the market information service of the Milk Development Council.)
Q4 In 2005, a dairy foods manufacturer that makes cholesterol-lowering dairy products made a controversial agreement with a French private healthcare insurer. The insurance company will refund up to €40 (£27) a year to customers who buy the dairy company’s cholesterol-lowering yoghurts, margarine and milk. Suggest why the insurance company would decide to enter into this agreement.
Q5 A leading brand of margarine added plant sterols to help reduce LDL cholesterol. In the UK, this brand took 5% of the market share in the four weeks after its May launch; this declined to 3.2% by the middle of July. The dip was thought to coincide with the scaling back of the advertising campaign after the launch. People have decided to try the new product based on the health benefit information provided in the advertising, but have not continued with its use. Suggest a reason why they may not have continued to buy the product.
Q6 A Glasgow University study published in September 2007 reported a 17% fall in heart attacks in Scotland following the introduction of the smoking ban in public places. In the 10 months before the ban there were 3235 admissions for heart attacks in the nine hospitals that took part in the study. In the same period after the ban the admissions for heart attacks fell to 2684. Blood tests were done on patients to check if they were smokers. It was found that in non- smokers, the fall in heart attack admissions was 20%, compared with a 14% drop among smokers.
a Discuss whether these are the findings that you would have expected in the 10 month period following the smoking ban.
b Suggest which factors may have contributed to the decrease in heart attacks after the ban. Q7 Which of the following is the most ‘scientifically sound’ advertising claim to help people
decide whether butter or margarine is the most healthy option? Give reasons for selecting or rejecting each statement.
1 Butter is a natural product, so is better for your health. 2 Margarine contains less fat than butter.
3 Butter contains a higher proportion of saturated fat than soft margarine. 4 Margarine contains lots of chemicals, so can’t be good for you.
Q8 In 2006, the European Union introduced a new health claims regulation, to avoid misleading or confusing health claims being used on foods. For example, a claim that a food is low in fat may only be made where the product contains no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g of solid food, or 1.5 g of fat per 100 ml of liquid (1.8 g of fat per 100 ml are permitted for semi-skimmed milk). Suggest at least two other possible claims made by manufacturers about food where the regulation should set guidelines to allow people to choose foods that will reduce their risk of CVD.
Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology Resources
Safety checked, but not trialled by CLEAPSS. Users may need to adapt the risk assessment information to local circumstances.
Activity 1.29 Teacher Sheet
MAKING DECISIONS
Purpose
To consider how people use scientific information to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Answers
Q1 Pack 2 is the best option if buying one of the three, it has the lowest number of calories, lowest fat and lowest saturated fat. These are important if trying to maintain an energy-balanced diet and reduced blood fat levels. All three packs contain the same salt levels. Pack 2 contains more sugar, but this is less energy dense than fat.
Q2 Ready meal B is the better buy if you were trying to reduce your risk of heart disease. It has much lower saturated fat levels, so will produce less of a rise in blood triglyceride levels. In particular, the LDL cholesterol levels will be lower – these are associated with development of atherosclerosis. Both packs have high salt content, with pack B higher than A. The person buying and eating these meals would need to consider their salt intake during the rest of the day, if they are not to exceed the guideline daily salt intake of no more than 6 g. Excess salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, a trigger in the development of atherosclerosis.
Q3 Over the eight year period there is a decline in the market share of whole milk, from 28.3% to 19.7%. There is an increase in the sales of semi-skimmed by about 8%. There is little change in skimmed milk share. As people become more aware of the need to reduce fat intake to reduce the risk of CVD and help in weight control, they decide to switch from whole milk to lower fat milk. A graph of the results would look like Figure 1.
Figure 1 Graph to show market share of milk with different fat content.
Q4 The insurance company will have considered the scientific data on the effect of cholesterol- lowering dairy products on the risk of having a cardiovascular event – something which would result in individuals making a claim on their health insurance. The reduction in cholesterol has been shown to reduce the risk of CVD. Therefore if high risk individuals eat these products it should reduce the incidence of heart attacks. This will reduce the number of claims that are made, thus saving the company money and allowing them to reduce the cost of their insurance cover. This agreement was very controversial. Many people complained that it was a
marketing ploy and should not be allowed.
Q5 People may have listened to the advertising information about the health benefits and have tried the new product. They may feel no benefit from the new product. This and the higher price for the product may put some people off continued use. The risk of long-term
consequences of behaviour tends to be underestimated. Therefore actions to reduce the risk are not taken. This is particularly so when people do not continue to be reminded by advertising about the risks they run and the benefits of the new product. Of course, they may not have liked the taste!